Improvement in peat-machines



dilated gti-sire stent @titten Letters 4Patent No. 113,180, dated March 28,1871.-

IMPROVEMENT FEAT-MACHINES.

The lSchedule referred to in these Letters Patent and of the same.

I, ZALMON LUnINGToN, of Fayette county, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain vImprovevments in Peat-Machines, of which the following isa specification. V

Nature mul Objects of the Invention.

My invention consists of an improvement in peatmachines, in which the peat or turf may be ground and pressed into molds ready for drying, without the necessity for second handling; and

It consists of several molds formed and rotating about the axis of a shaft, and having inner and outer broken mold-rings to assist in molding the blocks preparatory to drying, after the peat has 'been thoroughly ground by the rotary-mill.

General Description.

A is a cylinder4 or drum having its inner surface at the top and bottom beveled, and containingA arms a, converging toward the axis of the shaft B, which also has fixed firmly into it arms a', diverging at right angles from its axis, and alternating with those in the cylinder or drum.

The cylinder or drum A has its bottom formed by the platform or upper door H.

The frame, formed of the uprights (land horizontal l'timber D, is tongued into the platform H, and serves to steady the cylinder or drum A,\while the guiderods f, bolted to the horizontal timber D and platform H, clamp and hold iirmly together the upper structure of themachine. A

- Theshaft B has at its bottom the pin or axle/h, let

into a socket in the timber G, which is its bearing and support.

The timber D, throughwhich the shaft passes, forms for it a guide to prevent it from moving laterally while the mill is in operation. i

The molds c c c, which are formed of metal, set

loosely in the slots formed in the radial frames I,

which frames are rmly attached tothe shaft B. The molds are of the size required to form the peat-blocks, and are open at the ends-and top. g 4

Y Under the bottoms of these molds areprojcctions y., which come in contact with the spring el at stated in tervals, which spring forces the .lled mold upward against the under side of the platform H', and thereby gives to the block the pressure required to cause its particles to adheretogether preparatory to drying..

The outer and inner brokenrings E and F, serve as ends to the molds, and assist in the operation of forming the blocks. These-broken mold-rings E and F are secured to the under side of the-platform H, and have their surfaces next tothe molds coated with'metal,

which forms smooth 4surfaces for the blocks to bearA against while-they are being formed. Y

f The platform H has an opening, as seen in gsQZ i and'3, to allow the peat or turf Y just ground to pass through into theJ molds. f

On top of the radial frames I is aperforated disk, through which is allowed to pass the 'water freed-from the peat when it is under pressure.

Into the shaft B are secured flat pieces of metal b, directly over the molds, and as they are twisted they form a shear to press the ground peat into the molds as they are borne with the` shaft in its rotary course.

The timbers K K serve to separate the platform H from the oor G to give free space for the-movement of the machinery for molding and pressing" the peat.

The spring d, which forces the moldppward, 'is secured to the floor or timber G, and is made sufficiently stift' to hear up the mold containing the peat against the under surface 'of the platform Hand give the required pressure to the block.

The lever L is attached to the top of the shaft, to

the end of which is applied the power which carries 'the rotary structure in the direction of the arrows.

Having thus described my invention, I proceed to give its operation.` v Y The peat or turf after being dug from the pit is thrown` into-the drum or cylinder A while the power is being applied to the lever L, the arms a being sta# tion-ary, and the arms a movable with the shaft,,they are caused to workbetween each other and grind the peat. It passes downward as it is ground until it reaches Vthe bottom of-the cylinder, when it ispressed by the shear-plates l), through'the opening previously described, into the molds, as they in their turn reachv this opening.

When the molds in their turn reach the spring d, theyare forced up by contact with the projection g at the bottom of the mold, and the spring d.

The broken-mold-rings E and-F perform their part in molding the peat-blocks while the rotary device is in motion as described above.

When the peat-block is complete, it arrives in its I movement toi the point W,which is cut, for convenience, from the platform H, and, as before arriving at this point it has been relieved from the spring, the mold drops by its own weight, and the boy in attendance may pass one hand over the mold and draw the o'mpite' block forward' onto the hancibloek, on which v he may carry it to its drying place.

The molds are to be made perfectly smooth inside as weil as outside, 'so that the peat-block' may have a. good form, and the mold maywork up and down unobstructed.

y What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is- `A A Theradial frames I, attached to the Shaft and 'forming a, moiingfwheel, in .combination fwith the adjustable molds C, outerand' inner broken mold-rings E and F, and the spring d, as and for the purpose set 

